Methods and apparatus for analyzing software interface usage

• US 8,370,818 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2006
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Inc. (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Osminer, Matt, Gazdzinski, Robert F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kang, Insun
• Application Number:
  US11/607,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20080134156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,257 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/140
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/73 Program documentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44589 Program code verification, e.g. Java bytecode verification, proof-carrying code high-level semantic checks G06F8/43; testing and debugging software G06F11/36
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/20 Network management software packages

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for analyzing the interface usage and requirements within software applications. In one embodiment, the interfaces comprise application programming interfaces (APIs) used with Java-based software, and the apparatus comprises a computer program that analyzes file paths (or classpaths) containing one or more files comprising Java bytecode. The names of the classes are extracted and placed into a class dictionary. The different classes listed in the dictionaries are broken down into their individual methods. Each method is then dissembled and analyzed for method or field invocations on other classes found in the dictionary. Methods called are added to a “used class” report. The used class report preferably contains the name of the class, method and the instruction information.

Claims

1. A method of programmatically analyzing byte code on an analysis apparatus in order to identify one or more called application programming interfaces (APIs), said analysis apparatus comprising processing logic and a storage device, said method comprising:

providing, on said storage device, a first file path containing first byte code;

providing a second file path containing second byte code;

parsing, logic, files found on said first file path to create at least one first parsed class file;

placing a name of at least one class defined in said at least one first parsed class file into a dictionary;

parsing files found on said second file path to create at least one parsed second class file;

evaluating each class on said second file path to identify one or more methods associated therewith;

evaluating, via said processing logic, each of said one or more methods to identify at least one method or field invocation associated with any classes in said dictionary;

if said evaluation of each of said one or more methods identifies at least one method or field invocation associated with a class missing from said dictionary, matching said identified at least one method or field invocation associated with a class missing from said dictionary with a similar class present in said dictionary; and

rendering said first byte code interoperable with said second byte code by creating an association between said at least one method or field invocation associated with a class missing from said dictionary and said similar class.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding a name of each of said evaluated classes in said dictionary associated with said at least one method or field invocation to a report.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said act of adding further comprises adding specific method and instruction information to said report.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said act of adding further comprises adding debugging information to said report.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying at least one class of said first file path in said dictionary that has said at least one invoked method or field.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first or second byte code comprises an application adapted to run on an Open Cable (OCAP) compliant consumer premises device (CPE).

7. A method of analyzing class-based computer code using a reference code apparatus corn rising at least one interface and a data processor in operative communication with said at least one interface, said method comprising:

receiving a first input containing first code;

receiving, at said at least one interface, a second input containing second code;

extracting a first set of classes from said first input;

extracting, using said data processor, a second set of classes from said second input;

analyzing each class in said first set of classes to generate a dictionary;

analyzing each class in said second set of classes to generate a set of methods;

analyzing each method from said set of methods to identify invocations of classes present in said dictionary;

based at least in part on said analysis of each method, generating, using said data processor, a listing of invocations of classes not present in said dictionary; and

utilizing said listing of classes to create one or more place holder methods;

wherein at least one of said one or more place holder methods comprises a declarative method configured to identify itself and one or more parameters said declarative method accepts.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising adding said invoked classes to a report.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said report lists all application classes within said first set of classes, all application classes in said second set of classes, and all classes and methods in said second set of classes that identify one or more of said first set of classes.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said report further comprises:

a first section listing library calls in said first set of classes and said second set of classes; and

a second section listing at least a location of at least one call to a given application programming interface (API).

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said report further comprises a listing of all classes identified during said acts of extracting of said first input and said second input.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said report further comprises a separate page for each of (i) classes, (ii) interface, (iii) nested classes;

and (iv) nested interfaces.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein said act of adding comprises rendering at least a portion of said report in a markup language format.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable apparatus configured to store a computer program thereon, said computer program configured to analyze class-based computer code, said computer program comprising a plurality of instructions, configured to, when executed:

extract a first set of classes from a first input, said first input comprising first code;

extract a second set of classes from a second input, said second input comprising second code;

analyze each class in said first set of classes to generate a listing;

analyze each class in said second set of classes to generate a set of methods;

analyze each method from said set of methods to identify invocations of classes present in said listing;

based at least in part on said analysis of each method, identify a chain comprising one or more deadlocking methods configured to reference at least one method configured to execute prior to said one or more deadlocking methods in said chain; and

generate a report configured to list said chain.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

said first code comprises a first set of files associated with a first application, said first application comprising a known set of application programming interface (API) calls; and

said second code comprises a second set of files associated with a second application, said second application being passed to said computer program from a processing entity for evaluation at said computer program.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein:

said processing entity further passes to said computer program a catalog of APIs available to said processing entity; and

said plurality of instructions are further configured to, when executed;

compare said catalog with said identified invocations;

based on said comparison, identify at least one omission or discrepancy between said catalog and said identified invocations; and

instruct said processing entity to request at least one library to correct said at least one omission or discrepancy.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said first and second sets of files comprise byte code.

18. A method of analyzing class-based computer code to identify one or more aspects of application programming interface (API) called within an application utilizing a library for use with a code processing device comprising a computer-readable medium and processing logic, said method comprising:

identifying, on said computer-readable medium, first and second sets of code to be processed;

generating a first dictionary of all public classes and interfaces in said library;

analyzing, via said processing logic, a first set of classes and interfaces from said first set of code to generate a listing;

analyzing a second set of classes and interfaces from said second set of code to generate a set of methods;

comparing said listing and said set of methods to generate a second dictionary, said second dictionary comprising a plurality of entries indicating a plurality of APIs called by said application; and

based at least in part on said comparison, identifying, via said processing logic, one or more of said plurality of APIs configured to rely on a circular reference;

wherein said circular reference comprises a call into an individual one of said one or more of said plurality of APIs through a reference from said individual one of said one or more of said plurality of APIs.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein:

said second set of code is associated with said application; and

said first set of code is associated with a computer program with known API calls.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said method further comprises:

comparing said first and second dictionaries; and

based at least on said act of comparing, determining if said library comprises one or more APIs called by said application.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said method further comprises:

based at least in part on said act comparing, identifying at least one API called by said application, said at least one API not included in said library; and

based at least in part on said act of identifying said at least one API not included in said library, requesting a second library from a storage device.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein said application is enabled to run on a network device in communication with a hybrid fiber network.

23. A system able to identify application programming interfaces (APIs) called by a first application used in content delivery network, said system comprising:

a memory;

a first processing entity disposed on a first computer; and

a second processing entity disposed on a second computer and in data communication with said first computer, said second processing entity configured to run a computer program thereon, said computer program comprising a plurality of instructions configured to, when executed;

receive said first application to be evaluated from said first processing entity;

extract a set of classes from code associated with said first application;

analyze said set of classes to generate a set of methods;

compare said set of methods with a listing derived from one or more second applications present in a current configuration of a consumer premises equipment (CPE);

based on said comparison, identify at least one API called by said first application; and

when all APIs called by said first application are present in said listing, confirm said first application for distribution.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said one or more second application comprise at least one reference program having a known API usage.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said first application has associated source code, said associated source code being unavailable to said second processing entity.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein said first computer is operated by a software developer, and said second computer is operated by a cable network operator.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein said first computer is operated by a managed network operator, and said second computer is operated by an industry standards or certification facility.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein:

said second computer comprises a consumer premises equipment (CPE), and

said content delivery network comprises a managed content network.